Method and apparatus of position tracking and detection of user input information

• US 8,791,899 B1
• Filed: 01/26/2010
• Issued: 07/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: Open Invention Network LLC
• Inventors: Usey, Matthew Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Boddie, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): ELNAFIA, SAIFELDIN E
• Application Number:
  US12/693,811
• Time in Patent Office: 1,645 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184, 178 1801- 1811, 178 1901- 1907
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/043 using propagating acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0436 in which generating transducers and detecting transducers are attached to a single acoustic waves transmission substrate
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0693 Calibration of display systems

Abstract

A method and apparatus of detecting user initiated movement by an input element handled by a user is disclosed. The method may include performing a calibration procedure that is initiated by the user via a physical movement performed by the user. The method may also include positioning at least one sensor to dynamically adjust a size of an effective workspace range capable of detecting the user'"'"'s movement of the input element.

Claims

1. An apparatus configured to detect user initiated movement by an input element handled by a user, the apparatus comprising:

a calibration input unit configured to perform a calibration procedure that is initiated by the user via a physical movement performed by the user; and

at least one sensor positioned by the user to dynamically adjust a size of an effective workspace range capable of detecting the user'"'"'s movement of the input element, wherein the calibration unit comprises a button that is disposed on a rigid arm and is moveable by movement of the rigid arm from a stored position within a housing of the sensor to an outward position at a known position relative to the sensor, wherein the button is coupled to the at least one sensor and is selectable by the user using the input device, wherein selection of the button by the input device establishes a position of the input device at the button relative to the sensor, wherein the sensor is adapted to sense the position of the input device when the input device is on the button, and wherein the calibration input unit is configured to perform the calibration procedure by comparing a known position of the button relative to the sensor with a sensed position of the button as detected by the input device being placed on the button.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the input element is a passive pen-shaped writing utensil that does not contain any electronic components.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the button is selected by a pressing motion performed via the input element, and wherein the calibration input unit measures the position of the input element.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the calibration input unit determines whether the calculated position of the input element matches a known position of the calibration unit button, and, if so, then the calibration procedure is complete, and, if not, the calibration input unit adjusts a calculation algorithm used to determine the position of the calibration button.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the apparatus further comprises:

a calibration arm that extends from the sensor, and which is capable of being extracted from the sensor via a folding movement, wherein the calibration arm comprises the button.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the input element comprises a transmitter that emits ultrasound burst signals which are received at the sensor.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least one sensor detects the arrival time of the burst and compares it to the arrival time measured at another sensor to determine the position of the input element.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the position of the input element is performed via a triangulation algorithm.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the at least one calibration unit is further configured to determine the position of the at least one sensor based on the position of said another sensor.

10. A method of detecting user initiated movement by an input element handled by a user, the method comprising:

performing a calibration procedure that is initiated by the user via a physical movement performed by the user; and

positioning at least one sensor to dynamically adjust a size of an effective workspace range capable of detecting the user'"'"'s movement of the input element;

wherein performing the calibration procedure comprises extracting a rigid arm from a housing of the at least one sensor to an outward known position relative to the at least one sensor, selecting a button that is disposed on the rigid arm and that is coupled to the at least one sensor using the input device, wherein selection of the button by the input device establishes a position of the input device at the button relative to the sensor.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the input element is a passive pen-shaped writing utensil that does not contain any electronic components.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the button is selected by a pressing motion performed via the input element, and wherein the calibration input unit measures the position of the input element.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining whether the calculated position of the input element matches a known position of the calibration unit button via the calibration input unit, and, if so, then the calibration procedure is complete, and, if not, the calibration input unit further comprises adjusting a calculation algorithm used to determine the position of the calibration button.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

extending a calibration arm from the sensor, which is capable of being extracted from the sensor via a folding movement, and wherein the calibration arm comprises the button.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

emitting ultrasound burst signals, via the input element, which are received at the sensor.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

detecting the arrival time of the burst and comparing it to the arrival time measured at another sensor to determine the position of the input element.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the position of the input element is performed via a triangulation algorithm.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining the position of the at least one sensor based on the position of said another sensor.